Marry me Naruto, Bite me Neji
by Esah
Summary: Naruto's new mission: Marry Gaara. Why? To make Neji jealous, of course. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Marry me Naruto, bite me Neji

Title: Marry me Naruto, bite me Neji.  
Warnings: Shounen ai.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Rated: M for a little Mature content.  
Author: Silver and Grey.

A/N: I decided, that while I'm thinking off stuff to write for BASS LINE, that I should write a shorter fiction. Also, (I can't be bothered posting it on my bio page) I have decided that 'Sieges and Miso Ramen' is going to go on hiatus until I can be bothered thinking up a further plot line and changing the incorrect spelling in the title. (i.e. Seiges. It's supposed to be Sieges, but my spell check is shit. And for that matter, so is my spelling when it comes to words with 'ie' in them.)

And there will only be a few chapters for this one. It's safe to say that they will be much longer than my other fics as well. If you like GaaNaru, please check out BASS LINE! -shamelessly promoting- It's not a majorly serious story, and it's mostly written just for the hell of it. Just like this story! Though this one does have a plot. Slightly.

Please enjoy.

Gaara was cold. He was cold down to his core. The heavy, thick cloak, the woollen scarf, they did nothing. Nothing could relieve the chill that had settled deep into his bones, deep into his battered soul. He had been this way for some time, wanting, reaching out desperately for that unattainable warmth, acceptance and love.

He had all but given up, walking in the snow that day. Given up his need, his purpose. However, something had held him back from letting everything go. That something took the form of a lithe young man, two years his senior. Shoulder length dark brown hair and beautiful creamy pale eyes had transfixed him, holding him back from the precipice, pulling him back from the void.

And now that someone was gone once more. A few months filled with nights of lovemaking, nights and hours of whispered words and promises had ensued. But it hadn't lasted as long as Gaara had thought it would. His knight had disappeared, without so much as a word. There were no more midnight visits, no more sex in front of the fireplace or under the moonlight, tangled in silken sheets. Gaara had watched the young man walk away without a backwards glance, and had let him go.

_Coward…_

Afraid of rejection, afraid of the very thing that had been shoved wordlessly into his face as soon as the retreating figure had been lost in the fog of the morning. Abandonment. Gaara suppose that he should've been used to it. His family had never been supportive. His father was a business man, his siblings too busy to care about anything beyond their own lives. His mother was dead. There was no comfort for Gaara, there had never been any sort until the creamy eyed young man had come along. But Gaara was now left to be smothered in the black pits of loneliness, to be thrown into the abyss.

And then his little sun had come along. Bright and happy, optimistic in every way, loving him for everything that he was, and everything that he wasn't. Though this young man, with the beautiful cerulean eyes and the blond hair was not a lover like the previous young man had been, he was Gaara's little sun, his only friend, his luminosity in the previously impenetrable darkness.

They had frolicked in their friendship, in their newfound counter to a shared loneliness, completely oblivious to all but each other. They had shared secrets, shared hours of tears of laughter of silence and love.

Naruto was Gaara's best friend, his sunshine and his light. 

And then the creamy eyed young man had entered his life once more, three years later, begging to be let back inside, neither explaining his reasons for leaving or for his unexpected return.

Gaara still loved him. But did not forgive him.

Instead, on that windy Autumn evening in the park, Gaara had clutched Naruto to his side and faced Neji in the failing light, his face impassive and had said:

"Naruto and I…are getting married."

"Why did you say that to him?" Naruto had grabbed his wrist as soon as Neji had stalked off into the evening wind, "We are _not _getting married! You don't even _want _to get married! Not to _me_! You still love _hi-_"

A look of comprehension dawned on his tanned face, and he rounded on Gaara, who just stood, face impassive to face the onslaught.

"Gaara," a warning growl, "You can't do that to somebody you love. Don't use _me _as a tool for jealousy! You are _so _damn…I don't know, but you're damn something!"

Gaara stared at him, his face expressionless, until the golden haired young man calmed himself slightly, visibly struggling to contain further remarks.

"Naruto." He placed a hand on the shorter boy's shoulder, "Please?"

A sigh escaped Naruto, and Gaara could see the anger fading from his eyes, could see him remembering the hurt that Gaara had gone through because of this man.

"Revenge?" Naruto inquired, receiving a nod and a slight grimace in answer, "You're serious about this. Well, I don't get a say? I just have to…_marry _you? Without complaint?"

A nod was his only answer, and Gaara didn't feel guilty for not making a further reply. 

Gaara watched as his tanned, golden haired friend stalked around for while, huffing, before coming to stand directly in front of him to push his face close to the red-heads, attempting to be intimidating.

"When are you gonna get me a ring, then?"

"What about this one?" They were in the shopping centre, Naruto clinging to Gaara's arm, acting the adoring fiancée ("Just in case he's watching!" Naruto had piped), and picking out and engagement ring. Naruto had rejected too many rings to count and they were on to their fifth jewellery store.

It was only eleven o'clock in the morning.

They had arrived at ten.

Gaara had asked the same question ("What about this one?" "Naruto, this one?" "That one looks small enough…") over and over, but still never tired of his young friend and his excited chatter. He was getting a little annoyed that the blond was so fussy, though.

Naruto didn't like gold, or diamonds. He had stated that he had enough gold on his head, anyway, and that diamonds would outshine his eyes. They were currently looking at a plain silver band endowed with a beautiful sapphire.

"I think _not _Gaara-kun!" Naruto wrinkled his nose at his 'fiancée' and pouted, "darling, you said you'd find me the most beautiful engagement ring there ever was, but I'm prettier than all of them! _Surely _you can do better than that!"

_Fishing for complements, are we?_

Gaara mentally chuckled and looked down at Naruto, his arm wrapped around the slender waste, and smiled a little.

"In that case, I don't think I can satisfy you," Gaara could be sugary sweet, too, even if it _was _only an act, "Because none of these rings can ever compare to your beauty, love."

As they exited the store, neither noticed a fuming brunette, glaring menacingly at his old lover and the _fiancée _that had stolen his place. Neither noticed the sadness on his beautiful face or in his creamy eyes, either. 

Uzamaki Naruto was tired. His eyes drooped, battling to stay open as they darted around, searching. The knitted orange sleeveless top that he wore felt heavy over the plain white dress shirt under it, and the ends of his dark jeans scuffed against the floor as he dragged his feet while walking. Blonde hair flopping into his eyes, as he looked up at the person who he was currently clinging to, yawning slightly before he spoke.

"Gaara, I'm t_ired_!" he tugged on the red-heads sleeve, enjoying the feel of the soft grey silk on his fingers, "None of these stores have the perfect ring…They all have gold, and diamonds! And they're _way _too overpriced!"

His friend, and pretend 'fiancée' shook his head slightly and patted a hand on the pocket of his nice fitting black jeans, "I can afford whatever you want."

Grumbling about 'stupid rich friends and their stupid compulsion to flash their money around', Naruto poked a tongue out at Gaara, and blushed when the usually stoic man flashed him a small but noticeable smile.

"Why are you smiling? Did I do something stupid again?"

Gaara rolled his eyes, and stroked a finger across a whiskered and tanned cheek, "You look pretty when you're angry."

Refraining from uttering a huge 'Aaaaawww!', Naruto blushed and failed to hold in a small giggle and a large smile.

"Gaara-_kun_!" he turned his head slightly to kitten lick the slender finger, "This is why I fell in looove with youuu!"

The taller boy ducked his head slightly, uncharacteristically, to hide a small grin and a slight blush.

"Naruto, I can't begin to name all the thousands of reasons why I fell in love with you." Gaara blinked at him lazily, and smiled a little before leading them both into yet another jewellery store.

Naruto wondered at the uncharacteristic behaviour, and asked Gaara about it as soon as he obtained an opportunity to lean up to his ear, passing it off for a kiss on the cheek.

His answer was brief, but explained everything thoroughly.

"Neji is following us."

It was spoken so quietly that Naruto had to strain to hear it, obviously so that the lurking Neji would be unable to hear.

To cover up the suspicious looking whispering, Naruto created a little story.

"Aw, I wanna fuck you into the front counter, too!" He giggled, and swatted the taller man on the chest playfully, "But we might get thrown out, and I really want a ring!"

Gaara smiled a tight, strained sort of smile, grabbed Naruto's wrist and dragged him quickly up to one of the glass cabinets so that they could inspect the rings there.

He reached down under the pretence of giving Naruto's neck a small little kiss, and whispered, "This _better _be the damn shop you get the ring in, or I'll smash you into the front counter without anything sexual being involved. Alright, Naruto? You _like _your face, don't you?"

Naruto choked slightly, and quickly turned it into another small little giggle before pointing excitedly at a ring that sat somewhere near the top of the selection.

"That one! That one!" he tugged on Gaara's silken sleeve violently, earning a relieved sigh that he had finally picked one, and an annoyed glare for the irritating tugging, "Gaara-_kuuuun_! It's _perfect_!"

Sparkly eyed, he waited until Gaara had glanced at it, voiced his fake sugary opinion ("It's beautiful, baby…I'm so happy.") and stayed by the cabinet while his 'fiancée' walked gracefully up to the counter to get the shop keeper.

As Gaara glanced over at him briefly, Naruto waved, jumping up and down a little, and shouted "This is going to be the _best _wedding in history, baby! I looooove you Gaara-kuuuuun!"

He never saw the barely hidden pained look on the red-heads face.

Gaara, to say the least, was beginning to sorely regret the impulsive decision to name Naruto as his fiancée in a plight to repay Neji for his betrayal. Naruto had insisted on moving in right away, and on making it look as if they had been living together for a couple of years already.

Everywhere he now looked in his small house, there was a piece of Naruto. Pictures of them both littered the mantle above the fireplace, pictures that had actually been quite innocent friendly ones until Naruto had forced him to take a few more romantic looking ones to add to the collection. Where there had only been photographs of two smiling young friends, there was now ones of those same men in an embrace, slow dancing in the moonlight alone together, one of them kissing (Naruto had surprised Gaara with that one, though he didn't mind much. They were friends, and were very comfortable with one another.) and even one of them gazing into each other's 'loving' eyes. Naruto had wanted to make one in which he was straddling Gaara and leaning in for a kiss, but that was where the comfortable friend thing stopped for the green eyed man. Not that they had never been intimate with each other before. They had slept with each other in an experimental show of affection, but it never went past the point of a healthy romp with a best friend. A few paintings, all in warm red and deep orange colours were now hanging on the walls, along with a tapestry that seemed to have some obscure story sewn into it about a fox with a lot of tails.

Elsewhere around the room, there were further signs of the friendly blond, such as an orange jacket thrown haphazardly over the arm of the couch, added shoes at the front door, and also the addition of bright blue house slippers, and a tight fitting bright red coat on the hook beside the door that Naruto said would 'look pretty' on Gaara. An additional set of keys was added to another set of smaller hooks beside the door, and a few bags and belts along with them.

In the kitchen was now (predictably) a cupboard full of instant Miso Ramen, but also the addition of some strawberries, cherries (which Gaara had found out he very much liked), some frozen yoghurt ice cream in the freezer, raspberry, lime and orange flavours of cordial in the fridge and three large bottles of fruity red wine that Gaara had raised a non-existent eyebrow at.

The bedroom had undergone a complete transformation from a neat, white sheeted, one pillowed, black carpeted room into a gold and red silk sheeted, many cushions and pillowed, red and orange rug adorned room with another whole wardrobe for Naruto's clothes to go in. The simple wooden blinds had been trashed for some beautiful (Gaara was forced to admit that the kid had some semblance to taste, even if it was a little extravagant. And orange.) deep orange curtains that shone warmly when the sun hit them.

The walls stayed the same, a plain white, but were adorned with yet another tapestry that seemed to continue the fox story (Gaara had to wonder how and where in the high heavens the blond had managed to find them), and one painting of some various swirls in orange and silver.

The bathroom now had the addition of some strawberry smelling shampoo and conditioner, some lemon scented shaving cream (Apparently Naruto actually grew facial hair), some deodorant that smelt like baby powder, orange scented hand soap and passionfruit smelling bar soap and a large tube of exfoliating scrub.

And his plain white fluffy towel now had company- a very large, fluffy and soft bright blue one, and a smaller orange one of the same make and material.

Oh, and a tub of rose scented bath salts.

In the toilet, there was now a stack of magazines, ranging from girly ones to video games and surfing ones that Gaara didn't even bother to take a second glance at. His toilet paper had been changed to one with little blue kittens printed all over it. The air freshener was now orange scented, and he fancied that he could hear a wind chime hanging just outside the window whenever he went in there.

His bookshelf, which sat in the corner of the lounge room, had some new embellishments, mainly some obscure, weird looking manga, and a few books about what looked to be like 'How to draw Manga style' and some art books about the renaissance.

His fridge was now adorned with some worn stickers that he remembered having seen on Naruto's own fridge, which said things like "Don't drink water, fish have sex in it." and "G fck yrslf. You wanna buy a vowel?". Some magnets of various animals and anime characters held down flyers for band gigs and other things, and the handle now trailed the magnetic letters that read "You wanna eat, YOU do the dishes. Naruto xo"

A small whiteboard was stuck onto one door of the fridge, and read : Milk, pocky, oranges, rice, vodka.

The only thing that the blond hadn't touched was the television. Everything else had been modified from it's simple and clean state into a decorative and homely one. Gaara couldn't say that he hated it. He hadn't had much time nor much motivation to change much since the time he had moved in, and he enjoyed the warmness that he felt every time he took a look at the transformed house.

His only concern was having to share a bed with the blond. He had done so before, when they had stayed at each other's places and the smaller man had tossed and turned so much and pushed Gaara off the bed so many times that the red-head had just given up and slept on the couch.

Naruto was a good friend, however. That he was even doing this for him spoke volumes about how much they actually loved each other. Gaara had no other friend like Naruto. Naruto was his most precious person.

Gaara was Neji's most precious person. But how could Gaara possibly know that after Neji had so cruelly walked away from him all that time ago? He had not wanted to go, not in any way. His father had forced him to return home one day unexpectedly, and he had had to comply. Either that, or be fired from his own family business. He had walked away without explanation, unable to leave Gaara with the image of him in somebody else's arms and in somebody else's home and bed. Away from his heart.

The head of the second Hyuuga branch had demanded of Neji that he break off the relationship with Gaara in favour of a more favourable one to the business. The girl he had been forced to marry was pretty enough, a nice wife and had become a friend to Neji. She hadn't demanded anything of him in the bedroom apart from the consummation of their marriage, and did not bother him about his engagements and relationships prior to the marriage.

But she wasn't Gaara. She didn't make him smile like Gaara had. She couldn't create that loose, fluttery feeling in his chest that signified excitement and love. Gaara had done that to him easily, every single time he had lain eyes on the red-head. The consummation hadn't been anything flash. He was gentle, they enjoyed it somewhat, but he had only released upon the thought of his Gaara and the many explosive orgasms that they had given each other before they had been ripped apart.

Neji prospered in his business, setting up a very steady and large income for the married couple. She went out every second day or so with friends while he worked every day, and they entertained guests together regularly, holding extravagant dinners and lunches. Everything was perfect. They made the perfect couple, both beautiful, both polite and respectable. Both the picture of happiness. Everything was as his father and hers had planned.

Everything was fake.

They were polite to each other, did not have the conversations that a loving married couple should have. The usual 'How was your day, dear?' was asked on schedule. Nothing much else transpired in the discussion department. They were acquaintances. They had none of the same interests. None of the same friends or hobbies. They were as happy as they could be in such a situation that they had been arranged into.

That is why Neji supposed it had to go wrong.

He had wept when she died, as they had been friends. He had cried when he was informed by police that the car had come out of nowhere when she had been crossing the street, bringing the groceries home. She had been about to make dinner, Neji's favourite, just for him. For her friend. The funeral had been sweet, and he had held her mother as she sobbed, holding back tears of his own.

He had been widowed at the age of twenty one. Three years of marriage to a woman he hadn't loved, three years of marriage in which he had been painfully separated from his love to live with a woman whom he loved only as a friend. He was now alone.

After it had become too much to bear to live in a house still filled with her things and memories of her, he had resigned from his position at the firm (much to the chagrin but eventual concern and compliance of his father) and had moved back into the town that he had lived in those three years ago. Where his Gaara lived.

Neji was not a fool, he knew all too well that Gaara would have been immensely hurt and angry at him for his abandonment and that he had probably moved on. Neji at least wanted to redeem himself, to clear matters up and perhaps become friends with the beautiful red-head once more.

He figured that he could stay his hand, he could refrain from wanting Gaara. Too much. But when he had spotted the man in the park, his old need, his old love and want had returned with the vengeance of three years separation to back it, and Neji had gone weak at the knees.

The blond accompanying Gaara was beautiful, and obviously very close to the jade eyed man, and by the time he had walked up to stand in front of the mortified Gaara and the confused blond, Neji was having serious doubts as to whether the red-head was available at all. His doubts were confirmed when he received his answer to his pleas for forgiveness in the form of his Gaara gently pulling the blond to his side and saying the one thing that completely shattered Neji's already frail heart.

He was engaged to the blond. Naruto.

Neji supposed he deserved it. Neji _knew _he did. It hadn't prevented it from aching so much, though. He had not had the voice, or the ability to speak beyond his tears and the immense sadness -that he knew Gaara must have felt when he had left- to explain himself, explain his reasons for abandoning his love.

He had said nothing, opting to walk away in the mist, leaving Gaara to his obvious happiness, and leaving his most precious person behind.

He knew he deserved it.

He also knew that it was breaking his heart.

Naruto stretched out in the big bed, enjoying the feel of the clean sheets on his bare chest. This bed was so much larger than the one he had at his own apartment, and much more comfortable. He wondered how Gaara could sleep in this house by himself, in this big bed that gaped with the empty space on one side of it. Most of the time, the red-head did sleep alone. Some of the time Naruto joined him after lust filled love making with his best friend, but that never occurred in Gaara's house. It always took place in Naruto's apartment.

Bringing his hand up in front of his face, he watched as the silver ring flashed in the moonlight that streamed in from the window. He sighed, and smiled a little. As long as they were putting up this ruse, Gaara could share his house with somebody. And it would become a home. He was glad that he was able to do this for his friend, but the only reason he was doing it at all was because he himself had witnessed the anguish that Gaara had gone through when Neji had walked away without a word.

Said owner of the house was currently in the shower, steam escaping out from under the bathroom door from the heat of the water. Naruto knew that Gaara used very little cold water. If he listened closely, he fancied he could hear a content humming from beyond the door. That only meant that he had some more time to stretch out in the comfortable bed and enjoy the room. And that Gaara could make some pretty noises.

Sighing, Naruto turned to face the window, smiling faintly as his front was bathed in moonlight and the clean white light caressed his tan face. He raised his face to stare at the many stars that littered the sky, closing his eyes to concentrate better on the thoughts and memories of his friendship with Gaara that were flashing through his mind. This is why he didn't notice when Gaara walked into the room, still wet from the shower, dripping with water with a towel around his waste.

Gaara closed the door behind him, quietly, as was in his nature, and slipped the towel from off his hips as he walked to the wardrobe. Naruto didn't see the six light, thin scars that marked the red-heads back, three on each side. Because he didn't see this, he didn't have the opportunity to come up with the conclusion that the scars may have been the result of a long night of lovemaking. Nor that the scars themselves may have originated from the neatly trimmed nails of the lover that had been clutching the pale back as he reached his crescendo in passion. For that matter, he didn't have the opportunity to realise that the lover may very well have been Neji.

Naruto had never really payed much attention to Gaara's back, even when they were making love to each other. Gaara nearly always had his back pressed firmly into the mattress, no matter which role he was playing. When they slept afterwards, Naruto had always been curled up in front of the red-head, held in his arms from behind. He had never seen the scars.

Once he had slipped on a pair of boxers and some loose fitting pyjama pants, Gaara slipped into the bed behind Naruto. Because his attention had been fixed onto the night sky, his eyes closed in contemplation and because of the red-head's habit for being utterly silent, when Gaara spoke shortly after he had slipped into bed, Naruto screamed.

His heart hammering almost painfully in his chest, Naruto whipped around to face his friend, accusation weighing heavily in his eyes.

"What the _hell _did you do that for?" he poked Gaara in the chest, "You could at least _try _to make some noise!"

Ignoring his whining, Gaara stared at the Uzamaki blankly, before repeating what he had said.

"I said 'Are you happy with your ring?'," the red-head was appraised with an angry stare, "You're not going to make me take it back because you feel like getting a different colour stone, are you?"

Naruto sighed, wishing that Gaara could be a little more sensitive sometimes, but answered none-the-less, "I _love _the ring, Gaara. I _told _you I do. You don't think Neji's sussed this out, do you? We weren't being too mushy and unbelievable, were we?"

"We were." Gaara, always to the point, answered honestly, "I'm sure he believes it, though. His jealousy right now will be too overwhelming to see past."

"Should we back off the sweetness, then?" Naruto tugged on his wrist, eyes wide and enquiring, "Just to be safe?"

His green eyed friend smiled, a bitter and sad smile, and said "We passed the boundaries of 'safe' when I made this whole thing up, Naruto."

Despite his words the night before, Gaara relented. Their act was swept down to a more normal level of romance and yesterday's actions were passed off as being influenced by the exaltation of buying an engagement ring.

Naruto still clung to Gaara's arm, but the sugar filled sentiments were discarded for more honest sounding ones and Gaara went back to his usual state of mild impassiveness with the chatty blond his normal, loud and infectiously happy self.

They were currently on their way to visit one of Naruto's many acquaintances, to discuss the matter at hand, fully aware that Neji was poking around their home at the present moment. Naruto had told him, before their departure from the place, that he wanted to visit a friend in order to make some arrangements for something. He had asked for a lift on Gaara's motorbike. Gaara had told him that in that case, Naruto could walk.

The truth of the matter was, the sleek silver motorbike was currently being serviced in a nearby mechanic shop. Gaara would have gladly given his friend a lift, if his only means of transport via vehicle had not been unavailable.

Either way, Gaara had been dragged along with the blond, regardless of how much he had argued and despite several attempts to lock Naruto in various rooms in the house. (In which the blond had artfully escaped each and every one of the rooms he had been locked in with ease.)

So, Naruto Law had it that Gaara was being dragged along to Haku's house, with Naruto's argument ("We can act like a couple! See if Haku-kun believes it!") backing him up as he tugged the red-head along behind him.

Haku lived in a pretty nice district, one of those areas with the large houses, big manicured lawns and intercom systems at the great big gate out front. Naruto hopped up to the intercom of a large white two story house, and pressed the button with a slim tanned finger.

"Haku-kun!" he chirped happily, and Gaara winced slightly at the unnecessary volume of his voice, "It's Naru! I've come for a friendly visit with someone you won't ever guess I've got with me!"

A soft, feminine voice emerged from the speakers, quizzical, and Gaara wondered whether the gods that had crafted Haku had decided to make him indistinguishable from either sex.

"It looks like Gaara," Haku replied, "You do realise that I actually know Gaara already."

"Noooooo." Naruto taunted Haku, poking his tongue out at the camera above their heads, "Well, yeah, it _is _Gaara. But you'll _never _guess who he is!"

"…Just come through, Naruto." Haku sighed, "I'll meet you in my room. You know where it is."

Haku was obviously confused, and Gaara didn't blame him. Naruto didn't exactly have the habit of explaining things in an understandable fashion.

Gaara, despite having met Haku before, had never actually been to the feminine boy's house. The front door was something that looked like maple, but he didn't get to look at it for long, as Naruto had grabbed him by the wrist and was dragging him through the door and up some stairs before he could even blink. The stairs looked to be made of something like white marble, but Gaara didn't get a chance to look at _those _either before he was being shoved through a white painted door and into a moderate sized room.

Naruto stumbled in behind him, and stood at his side with his arm curled around Gaara's slim waist. A person who he assumed must be Haku looked up from the floor where he had been sprawled reading some magazine, and stood up with grace that challenged Gaara's own. He glided over to Naruto and enveloped him in an enthusiastically returned hug, and smiled widely at both of them once they had pulled apart.

"You are lovers now, then?" Haku gestured politely at Gaara, who smiled a little for politeness' sake. Mainly for Naruto's sake.

Naruto himself smiled slyly, foxily, and shook his head, "Not _only_ lovers," he sidled up to the red-head, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "He's my _fiancée_!"

Haku's mouth dropped open a little, and a look of surprise changed into a look of delight mingled with confusion. "You're getting married, Naruto?" he looked at his friend, "I only saw you last week and you didn't even have a girlfriend or a boyfriend then."

Naruto laughed nervously, a hand behind his head in his trademark gesture, "Well, you see…Haku!" he pointed out of the window abruptly, "Look! Sai's running across you front lawn naked!"

Not for the first time that day, Gaara wondered none too absently why he put up with the blond.

And then Naruto smiled at him, the smile that said 'I love you so much and you are my best friend', and flashed his big blue eyes his way in mirth, and Gaara didn't wonder any more. His heart warmed at the sight of his best friend's happiness, and he felt himself returning the smile.

_Oh. That's why._

---

The sun shone bright in the sky, and the birds sang beautifully about their happiness. The flowers bloomed widely, their sent floating in the air pleasantly and refreshingly. People walked together through the park, children played in the streets and on the playgrounds. The sky was a clear blue, and the only clouds visible were full and seemed as though they could be walked upon with little effort. The river that roared along the edge of the town of Konoha held a few leaves that had drifted into the clear waters to be swept along, fluttering around like the heart of a soul whom had just fallen in love.

Neji payed attention to none of it, opting instead to stalk along in a foul mood, his thoughts centred on his longing and unbounded love for one Sabaku no Gaara, born and raised in Suna; the next town over, rejected from his family, exiled into Konoha, found by a lucky young man in a park one day, loved explicitly by him and also abandoned by him just at the moment in which he had begun to trust.

The creamy eyed Hyuuga wished for nothing more than a reconciliation of some sort, even if the idea was a little selfish. He wanted his Gaara back. He wanted those nights of sex under a full moon and snuggling in front of the fire place back again. The memories he held in his heart would forever stay there, but he wanted the _reality _of it back. He wanted it desperately. But his love was now claimed by another and Neji had not a hope of ever explaining himself to his jade-eye love, and he did not believe he stood a chance up against the sunny little blond, who burst with exuberance, whose smile resembled that of a god and who held an unaccountable amount of love and healing for Gaara.

There was nothing for him here if Gaara was unattainable. There was nothing for him anywhere.

When Haku had first met Gaara a few years ago, he had thought he was a very messed up guy. He had just been abandoned by the infamous Neji and was a complete mess. Despite this, Gaara had been polite and had made a friend in him. Now, having Gaara standing before him, looking mildly interested in nothing as he always did, was comforting. But having Naruto squeak that the two were marrying was another thing indeed.

"Why did you decide on this?" He asked, "And so quickly? Have you even dated?"

Naruto laughed nervously and bit his lip, "You see…We're very much in love, Haku-kun. I mean, look at the way he _blushes _when I hug him!"

Naruto gave Gaara a rather naughty looking hug, looking at his face to spot the blush. Gaara merely looked annoyed. There was no blush in sight.

"Well…!" Naruto was at a loss, until a mischievous look crossed his face, and he ran a finger down the red-head's cheek playfully, (Haku sighed.) "He was blushing last night!"

"Tell me the truth, Naruto."

The blond let out a grand sigh, and sat on the couch in the middle of the room. Once he had finished explaining, Haku felt that his eyebrows were never going to come down from his hairline.

"This is all a front?" Haku asked, wanting to get all the facts right, "To make somebody jealous?"

Naruto's hair swished a little as he nodded his head in agreement. The smaller young man sighed once more and looked to Gaara for help in his explanation. He had left a few things out, it seemed.

Gaara turned his head to face Haku and said blandly, "Neji couldn't even be bothered enough to explain anything to me. He just left. No way I'm being sympathetic to him _now_. Or ever."

Naruto nodded vigorously as if to emphasise Gaara's statement, which was unneeded in Haku's opinion, and added his own input, "Neji-kun-"

But was interrupted by Gaara, "Don't call him that. He doesn't deserve an honorific."

"Neji's being following us _all _day." Naruto continued, "He didn't follow us here, don't worry! He's snooping around in our house."

Gaara was quick to correct, "_My _house."

"You're gonna have to get use to calling it _our _house while we're engaged," Naruto countered, "We're supposed to have been living together for ages! Neji won't be too happy if he finds out that this is all a lie."

Gaara scowled, "I don't care. I don't want him to be happy."

"Aw, c'mon Gaara," Naruto whined, clinging to his best friend's arm, "I hate it so much when you're upset!"

Gaara let show a small, barely noticeable smile, "_Our _house, then. But only because you want it to be."

Haku took the momentary pause in the conversation as an opportunity to study the red-head's face while he looked at his blond friend. Gaara's eyes were the only thing on his face that betrayed his emotion apart from his earlier momentary scowl. Filled with hurt and fear, they reminded Haku of a time when Naruto had been just as wracked with pain and rejection.

When Haku had extracted the truth from Naruto on a night when Gaara had been otherwise occupied due to a yearly meeting with his father, he had found that Naruto had been just as alone as Gaara. The blond had been brought up in an orphanage, ridiculed and outcast by the children there and treated like a burden by the supervisors. When he had been old enough to, he had left the place to live on his own in an apartment near to a place where he could find a job and leave everybody who knew him behind.

Naruto had earned a living working as a waiter in a small restaurant near the heart of Konoha city, paying his rent every week but eating little so as to be able to. Naruto had told him that when he had found Gaara slumped over in the park that night, he had thought it was an angel, with pale skin and soft hair the colour of deep red roses. He hadn't wasted a second thought on comforting the 'angel' and they had been friends ever since.

Both had helped the other to open up to other people. Naruto had made a few more friends, including himself, though none would ever be as close to the blond as Gaara was. The two were virtually inseparable and Haku wondered why they hadn't gotten together yet. Sure they had experimented with each other, but they didn't feel anything more than friendship and the occasional bout of lust for each other, from what Naruto had told Haku. For that matter, Haku himself had enjoyed more than a few nights of pleasure with Naruto, caught up in moments of vulnerability and longing for another to share their raw show of intimacy with. Haku still thought that Gaara and Naruto were close enough to be lovers.

But then again, there was that little pit stop problem: Neji. An idiot could see that Gaara was still hung up on the guy, and a child could see how much it was affecting him even through the stoic expression and occasional scowl. Haku could certainly see it. He could also see how desperately Naruto was trying to help his dearest friend, testing his limits in order to bring the slightly taller pale skinned man to smile an unburdened, soaring smile once more.

Haku wanted to do all that he could to help them in their…plan. Though it was deceiving somebody, it would make Naruto and Gaara happy and at that moment, making his two friends happy was all that concerned the feminine man. Sighing, he tossed them some keys and smiled slightly.

"I noticed that you walked here. Those are for my car," he smiled wider at the adorable look of shock and gratitude on Naruto's face, and the look in Gaara's eyes that expressed the same thing, "You can borrow it for however long you wish. Zabuza should let me borrow his car while you have mine; he doesn't use it anyway."

Zabuza was Haku's guardian, best friend and ultimately his love. The house belonged to the tall, strong man and everything that Haku owned had been purchased with Zabuza's money and his wish to keep his little lover comfortable. The tanned man was currently over seas on a business trip for a few weeks. In the times when the elder man was away, Haku usually sought Naruto's company and intimacy, but this time that seemed impossible due to the current situation. Zabuza knew about Haku's exploits with Naruto and didn't mind it much. As long as it was only Naruto he was doing it with and as long as he ceased the relations as soon as Zabuza's plane landed back in the country, he was fine with it. Haku couldn't love his guardian enough.

Because said man was currently away, he would have absolutely no need for his sleek black convertible. That meant that Haku had free reign over it and was free to lend his small silver one to Naruto and Gaara. Though he was quite aware that Naruto's driving style was much like his personality changes –erratic, impulsive and very, very fast- he trusted that Gaara would not allow the smaller man to sit anywhere in the car besides the passenger seat. Gaara would probably drive in his less hazardous, but still fast style, but at least his car would not be returned to him on the back of a pick-up truck.

Naruto clutched the keys to his chest and beamed a great big, shiny smile at him before shouting, "Thank you Haku, thank you! You have _no _idea how much I wanna kiss you right now!"

Gaara looked slightly annoyed at that and made sure to voice his opinion, "Why don't you just do it, then? It's not like you and I are getting married."

At that, the small blond deflated, giving Gaara the perfect opportunity to snatch the keys right out of his hands and shove them into a pocket. Naruto would not be getting them back. Ever, judging by the look on Gaara's face.

Haku was beginning to really like the red-head.

"So Naruto, why exactly are you here?" Haku queried once the blond had stopped quivering in depression, "You never really said."

Naruto looked up at him with bright eyes and a determined smile, "I wanted to see if you'd think it was true." He gestured to himself and to Gaara, "Us."

Haku smiled, "I did. I thought it was a little…rushed, but I didn't want to judge you. But yes. I think you can pull this off, provided that Gaara warms up a little."

"Gaara, you heard him!" Naruto punched Gaara lightly on the arm and earned an icy glare for his trouble, "You gotta warm up to me!"

"It shouldn't be too difficult," Haku provided, "seeming as you've slept together before. And you're always around each other."

Naruto whined, "Yeah but he never shows the real Gaara to anyone outside the bedroom! And we can't have sex spontaneously in front of Neji! That'd just be weird and he'd probably try to punch me!"

Haku sighed again and pushed them both out of his bedroom door, "Just take the car and work on being a couple. You'll be fine."

Haku took one more look at their faces, smiled and closed his bedroom door in their faces.

_I _hope_ they'll be fine, anyway._

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Inside the car, all was silent. Until Naruto turned the radio on. Gaara held back a sigh drenched with frustration and let Naruto have his own way for once. He longed for his motorbike, and the blessed roaring wind that would no doubt have shut out Naruto's loud and incessant singing and the bad taste in music that accompanied it.

He didn't mind so much though, as he was well used to his blond friends' antics and cute little singing noises. He settled into driving the beautiful silver Lotus Elise and thought about nothing more complicated that what Naruto was going to whip up for them for dinner tonight. Then he changed his mind that this was not a complicated thing to think about: Naruto, cooking? That was the most complicated thing that anybody could ever think about. Sure, the little runt could cook very well but it was the matter of the unhealthy things that he chose to cook.

Miso Ramen was a sort of back up plan for Naruto. If Gaara wouldn't cook anything, and he couldn't be bothered, Naruto would eat Ramen. If Naruto was watching a sad or romantic movie, he would eat Ramen. If Gaara was out, Ramen. If Gaara told him to go away, Ramen. If Gaara said something mean, Ramen. If Gaara did anything negative towards Naruto at all, the little blond would eat Ramen. Gaara realised that Naruto's eating habits revolved entirely around himself, and was more than a little shocked to discover that indeed, the blonds' entire _life _revolved around him.

Why did his sunny young friend care for him so much? He was cold, selfish and broken. The only time that Gaara ever truly expressed himself was when he and Naruto were making love, and that didn't happen so often that it was a common thing. In fact, Gaara wished that it would happen more often. When they made love, the entire world seemed to shudder in delight. Well, Gaara's entire world anyway. Seeing that look of complete rapture on Naruto's face always drove Gaara over the edge long before he had even thought about release until spotting that look.

When Naruto brushed his hand in a friendly gesture across one of Gaara's on the steering wheel and flashed him such a look of complete adoration, Gaara felt kind of strange. Why was his breath growing so erratic?

_Look at the road, damnit! Look at the fucking road!_

His thoughts were consumed with images of Naruto making love to him, being made love to in return, smiling, laughing, crying in his arms, snuggling against him, whispering dirty things into his ear right before the moment of climax, poking him in the arm, annoying him, eating ramen, sleeping peacefully, waking from a nightmare to be held shivering in his arms, holding Gaara as he himself woke crying, playing childish games, watching anime, staring at him with that very look filled with adoration, with longing and lust, with friendship and joy, with comfort and the ever present love for Gaara that the red-head was beginning to realise was not entirely platonic.

And as all thoughts about Neji faded, turned into thoughts about Naruto, Gaara realised that his friendly love for Naruto was not at all platonic either.

_What is happening to me?!_

--

Naruto first realised that something was amiss with his dearest friend when Gaara froze as he lightly touched one of the marble-like hands resting gently against the steering wheel. He brushed it off as being a memory of Neji, and continued to sing. The music was very loud, drowning out all the worries that Naruto may have had had it been low enough to concentrate on the way that Gaara's hands were shaking as they clenched the wheel so tightly.

He looked out the window, reflecting upon their fake engagement. How he wished that it wasn't all just a farce. His romantic feelings towards Gaara were growing increasingly difficult to contain, and he feared that his secret desire for Gaara to be entirely his, to be his not only in the bedroom but everywhere and in everything they did together or apart, was going to become glaringly obvious to the broken hearted native to Suna very, very soon.

Gaara was very suspicious at the worst of times, and extremely perceptive at the best. Surely he would notice the shaking in the blonde's hands as they slept next to one another, the slight blushes on his cheeks whenever their hands brushed together, the thrill of exultation that ran like shivers through his tanned body whenever their eyes met, he frequency in which they had been having sex lately, at Naruto's request. Or maybe, hopefully, he would remain blissfully unaware, happy and content with a friendship that would never satisfy the blond, but would keep his friend happy.

And then he remembered the way the red-head had frozen shortly before. What had that entailed to? Had Gaara already guessed? Was he beginning to freak out even now? Was he contemplating pulling over and chucking Naruto out of the car in disgust, wanting to break the whole fake engagement off?

But no.

What reason could he possibly have to be disgusted of Naruto? They were best friends. They were family. Of a sort. Gaara loved him, Naruto was sure of it. Just not in the way that Naruto loved Gaara. Wish as much as he would (And Naruto really had wished a whole lot) that Gaara could somehow return his feelings, his fevered lust, his want, his _need_…it would never happen. Naruto wasn't dense, he knew that not everything turned out fine in the end. He was content with being just friends.

He was.

Really.

But…what if…What about Gaara's little freeze before, as Naruto had touched his hand? Maybe the red-head wasn't _freaking out _as such, maybe he was actually _feeling the same way_!

_I'm kidding myself,_ Naruto slumped in his seat, knowing that even if he pretended to be cheerful, Gaara would no doubt see through the act as he always had, _I'm just hoping. It's stupid._

"What's stupid?" Gaara startled Naruto out of his reverie, and the blond realised that he must have said the last thing out loud, "Are you calling me stupid? Naruto, you should really know better than that."

When Naruto didn't answer (he was too shocked), Gaara sighed, and changed the subject. Naruto was well used to it. Gaara seemed to sigh a lot. If only he would sigh Naruto's name…

"Will you be cooking tonight? I'd…like…to try your…cooking."

Naruto laughed, "You'd do that to yourself?"

Though Gaara remained silent, staring ever ahead, Naruto was able to tell –easily- that his friend was trying very hard not to roll his eyes.

"Oh, come on," Naruto snorted when Gaara didn't bother answering, "Like you could possibly offer me that without wanting something in return. Badly. Very badly, if you'd let me poison you with home made ramen. With leeks. _You_ don't like leeks."

"I don't recall telling you that." Was his only reply.

Naruto sighed, looked out the window. "You didn't have to, ya damn idiotic…idiot."

Gaara raised what would have been an eyebrow if he'd had any, "I didn't have to say? So you just…magically knew. Somehow."

Naruto sighed again, wondering how he was going to refrain from pouncing on the jade-eyed Suna native, and sighed once more before he bothered speaking. "…Gaara. Seriously. We've been friends for…forever, and you think I haven't figured out-of all things- that you don't like _leeks_? Like hell, moron! You think I wouldn't notice? Ha! Like I didn't notice when you almost murdered that waiter for giving you leek soup instead of lentil! Or, when we pass that vegetable patch on the way to the milk bar, and you _always _look at it with disgust because its got a whole patch of leeks?"

"I don't _hate _them…" Gaara replied, "I just don't like them. A lot."

"Gaara."

"Okay, at all."

Smiling self-satisfactorily, Naruto leant his head on his hand, and continued looking out the window, watching not the scenery go by, but the reflection on the window of Gaara's porcelain face.

--

They arrived home shortly after the…leek discussion. The house was dark, empty. Ominous. Gaara was glad that he now had his dearest friend with whom he could share it with. Said blond was currently getting out of the car, and Gaara couldn't help but notice that Naruto looked less cheerful that he usually did. There was something…sombre about him. Something that made Gaara very, very worried.

As soon as the red-head had looked up, however, Naruto reverted back to his normal, cheery self. Except it was a _fake, _normal, cheery Naruto. And Gaara didn't want to interfere. Whatever it was that was bugging the usually bouncy young man, Naruto would tell him sooner or later. And Gaara would deal with whatever it was then. That didn't mean, however, that the usually stoic red-head wouldn't worry his ass of about it. Silently.

He continued his thoughts in a huffed state as he made dinner (Naruto didn't feel like making it that night), and didn't see Naruto until he had called him to eat. The blond had retreated into their room with a small "see you at dinner!" that sounded too merry to be real.

Sighing, he turned the heat off, served the soup into two bowls and called Naruto out of the room.

Dinner was eaten in silence. Naruto went to their room to bed early. In silence. Gaara watched some television. In silence. When he retreated to their room late at night, it was, predictably, in silence.

Used to Naruto's usually very noisy, tossing, mumbling was of sleeping, Gaara was not accustomed to the quiet unmoving version. Something must be very wrong indeed. And Gaara was going to find out. _Not _silently.

---

Naruto hummed to himself as he pulled his jumper over his head. Hair still damp from a long, hot shower, he padded into the kitchen to find a not-so-cheery Gaara fuming silently (ironically) over a cup of tea. Unfazed by his friend's sudden and by now well accustomed to, vicarious mood swings, Naruto plopped down beside the redhead, and grinned stupidly at him.

"What's for breakfast then, _husband_?" Naruto sidled up to Gaara, sliding his chair over the floor with a loud screech, "Be nice if it was _you_!"

Gaara looked over at Naruto blankly, still grumpy at Naruto's strange behaviour from night before. He took a slow, deliberate sip of his drink, and looked up with lidded eyes, "Nothing. Make it yourself."

Slightly affronted, Naruto swiped a hand through his still damp hair in a nervous gesture, scowled a little, pushed his chair back in a huff of his own, and stalked out of the room. Gaara took another sip of tea, and turned his attention to the wall in front of him.

Meanwhile, Naruto had walked briskly to the bathroom, snatched his body spray from the vanity and proceeded to spray profuse amounts into the bedroom air. Gaara had expressed his dislike for this scent a few nights before, in the way of sneezing all over Naruto's freshly washed face. Naruto thought that it was high time he pay the red-head back. Let's see him sneeze over this! All over his _own _things!

When the can had reached its dregs, the blond tossed it aside (making sure the leaking bottle landed on Gaara's pillow), and walked back into the kitchen, freshly positive and satisfied. Taking a packet of cereal out of the cupboard, with an exaggerated flourish and a little violent wrenching motion, Naruto began to make his own breakfast. He was a little peeved upon the realisation that Gaara hadn't been paying any attention to him.

Positively _storming _over to the table, he flung his bowl onto the table, effectively spilling milk everywhere, and shoved some cereal into his mouth with a spoon bent from his clenching fist. Blue eyes flashed into unresponsive green, and Naruto crunched his cereal unnecessarily aggressively. However, when Gaara's eyes focused on him, he ceased all action.

Jade eyes were now focused intently on his face, and Naruto couldn't help but shiver.

Gaara didn't say anything, didn't _do _anything really, except walk off. And even then, he wasn't angry about it. Just sort of…uncaring. Naruto smiled slightly. He was in the clear!

That's what he thought, until he heard his new stereo being thrown out the window.

Naruto's reaction to this?

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

--


End file.
